Water

I don’t even know where to begin with this…

I’m not certain how wide the coverage globally is of the flooding here in Calgary, and Southern Alberta, although I just saw it on Sports Center so I assume you guys have heard. Still, its hitting home and authorities are warning it is not over yet, with more rain to come. Three people are confirmed dead in the High River community, with another still missing. Entire homes have been washed away in Canmore. Calgary has evacuated 25 neighbourhoods, displacing approximately 75,000 people. My former neighbourhood, Mission, (which I wanted to move back to) is underwater. The zoo animals are headed to the jail cells if the Bow River continues to rise. 17th Avenue, and Kensington, my favourite shopping spots are also flooded. Two weeks to Stampede opening day, the Saddeldome is full of water up to the luxury boxes, and the grounds are an ocean. It’s certainly the top story nationally, if you are reading from outside of Canada, check out links for the stories at NATIONAL POST, CTV, and CBC.

All the reports compare this to the flood of 2005, which I also experienced first hand, although in Rosebud, not Calgary. You can see that flood for yourself as well, in the CBC documentary that follows my mother and our family, Burning Water. This is the second time I have experienced a flash flood, and there is nothing like it; and this is NOTHING like the first time. The photos hardly do it justice, the murky water only shows the spread, not the depth. If you aren’t familiar with the landmarks you might not know quite how extensive it is. You might not realize how much has been effected. If you have been watching any news coverage you may have seen helicopter footage, its unbelievable, to view it click HERE.

This video gives a pretty good idea of how severe it really is. The flooding is widespread; shallow in some places but extremely deep and fast moving in others, and full of debris. Calgary at this point, is not nearly as hard-hit as Canmore and High River, where 3 are confirmed to be dead. Hundred’s of soldiers have been deployed as Southern Alberta is in a state of emergency. As much as I go on about my displeasure at living in Calgary, I do love the people here, at a time like this its really clear how strong of a community we have. Watching all these videos, seeing my running trail and an entire community under water is heartbreaking. Its fortunate that in Calgary we have no deaths and minimal injuries.

The overwhelming sentiment seems to be one of complete disbelief; no one imagined anything like this could happen here. My mom and I felt the same in 2005, when our farm in Rosebud flooded. I can’t explain to you the feeling when you are in the middle of the storm like that. I’ve always loved being in the middle of the storm, I love the rain, in 2005 when the flash flood hit our home, I was outside walking in the rain when instead of just pouring rain, suddenly, there was water everywhere. The footage in Burning Water (its only a few minutes in if you click HERE) shows flooding in my yard, was shot by me at the time and cut into the film later. When a flash flood comes, you really don’t realize how quickly it hits, and when it hits a city of a million people, the 4th largest in Canada, it’s devastating.

The footage is unbelievable, nothing like this has ever been seen here, and in times like this my inner environmentalist is begging for people to see the larger picture. More and more in the news all over the world we hear of natural disasters, each seemingly the “worst in history.”

In 1895, Nobel Prize winning Swedish chemist Svante August Arrhenius predicted that the excessive burning of fossil fuels would eventually alter the earth’s climate. In just 118 years, we have burned though an unbelievable amount of those fossil fuels, almost certainly faster than anyone, even Mr. Arrhenius, could have ever predicted.

Downtown Calgary was built on the money of the oil and gas boom, and is set between two rivers- the Bow and Elbow. “The Bow”, Encana’s landmark building- the tallest in Canada West of Toronto, just opened to the public a few weeks ago, and is now completely shutdown due to massive flooding. It almost seems biblical, though I do not consider myself a religious person. If there is one thing I do believe in, as I have posted before, it is the balance of nature.

Like I said, there is nothing like being in the middle of a storm, there is nothing like seeing it for yourself. The massive, awe inspiring power of nature. What forces does man have at his disposal when nature strikes? You realize then how powerless we really are. What does man expect from nature, that it will not strike back? That it will not find a way to create balance?

It is tremendously difficult for me to write this post because I do not want it to be misunderstood. I have compassion for every single individual affected here, for every individual affected in every tragedy around the world right now. I cannot imagine having my entire home swept away, its devastating.

At the same time, nature does not care for the whim’s of man. Man is a vile beast; a greedy creature with the tools to do more damage than any other animal on this planet, but mother nature will not accept mistreatment at the hands of her children.

When EnCana/Cenovus Corporation came to the the Rosebud valley with its experimental drilling techniques circa 2005, our water started lighting on fire out of the taps. The CBC passionate eye documentary, Burning Water, follows my mother’s fight with corporate Alberta, and the Alberta government for her water rights, after Encana used an experimental method of hydraulic fracturing in the Rosebud River Valley. In the midst of this political storm, 3 successive rainstorms flood Southern Alberta. In 2005 it wasn’t even CLOSE to this bad; in just 8 years, it is at least 3 times worse than the last “worst flood in history”. Just a few weeks ago EnCana opened the doors to “The Bow”, its premiere head office- they mention its construction in Burning Water.  Just a few weeks ago I was joking in a post that I would dance on its ruin and explaining that it is symbolic with all that is wrong with our culture.  I had no idea it would be evacuated and shutdown due to flooding, who would have? Who could possibly have ever imagined flooding so widespread, in the middle of the Alberta prairies?  After 118 years of relentlessly burning fossil fuels, and 8 years since our last water disaster, we have still learned nothing.

This isn’t a Calgary problem, its a global cultural problem. Our society is fatally flawed and if we carry on our current path we will destroy ourselves. As individuals we put ourselves first, because no one else will. In this age of luxury and technological advancement we are led down the rabbit hole of capitalistic greed. We get caught up in the nine-to-five, comparing our cars and our clothes and our houses and we forget that nature can take it all away in a heartbeat when it’s time to pay your debt.

It’s why I keep talking about the water issues, even though I know most people are content to justify their apathy. I understand entirely the temptation of pretty things, I battle with my materialistic, consumer side every day. I understand wanting to make some money to put yourself through school, or support your family. Temptation is always there but we must not gorge ourselves, lest our swollen bellies burst. Some of the most expensive real estate in the oil capital of Canada is now underwater.  Regular home insurance won’t cover it, millions of dollars of damage has been done. You might not realize it’s karma coming when she gets you, but it is. Everything will balance in the end.  This disaster has galvanized an already strong community and Calgary will rebuild, rebound and be reinvigorated.  Mayor Nenshi even says we can do it in time for Stampede!

Will Calgary really change? Not anytime soon. Sure it will rebuild and get back to business, but real change?   No.  It’s not just Calgary that needs to change, though certainly we have dug in our heels determinedly pushing for “economic value ” of the oil sands. Environmentalist friends (friend?) lets not delude ourselves. Prime Minister Harper “knows this is not what the rivers are supposed to look like” because he used to live here, and he took a helicopter tour so he could REALLY TELL. Premier Redford said something so dull I couldn’t even quote her, in the meantime her ex-husband represents the Defendants in Jessica Ernst’s million dollar lawsuit [Ernst v. EnCana, Energy Resource Conservation Board, Her Magistey the Queen in Right of Alberta] which has just been delayed again, because back in February Mr. Harper called the Justice hearing the matter up to a higher court. Quite convenient. Jessica goes back to phase ONE of her litigation- an application to rule whether an Albertan citizen even has the right to sue her government for failing to uphold its own regulatory standards when a corporations experimental CBM exploration destroyed the her Aquifer and contaminated drinking water in the vallye. Despite the fact she’s been dealing with this for a decade Encana hasn’t even so much as had to put forward their Statement of Defence, thanks to the legal gymnastics of a team of government lawyers. What did she expect suing the government and the corporation that pays the government’s salaries? I Nothing less, but that’s the point.  It seems an unattainable goal, to change the landscape of our intertwined government and corporate world, which is all the more reason why we must fight so hard.  I love it, Jessica is an absolute champion, she know’s what she’s up against here, the dynasty of conservative Alberta politics and the oil empire. The most important thing at this point is to spread awareness, add your voice on Alberta Voices and check out Jessica Ernst’s website.

For everyone who has suffered at the hands of nature; whether you have lost your home, your family, your friends, your pets or your life, know that the strength of an entire country is behind you.  For everyone standing on the edge of the storm waters, asking yourself, “how could this possibly have happened?”, do not forget that question when the flood waters recede.  This is a warning, a wake-up, a call to arms.  How could this possibly have happened?  In 118 years, just 18 years longer than the world famous Calgary Stampede has run, we have burned though more than half of the world’s oil reserves, the half that was easy to get to.  Now we use techniques more dangerous than ever before to extract oil, or natural gas, and the price we will pay if we continue to do so is honestly unimaginable.  How can we be so arrogant as to think what we do to one part of the earth will not have an effect elsewhere?

Take a rock.

Now smash it with a hammer.

Will the rock ever mend itself?

Will the cracks meld together and reform?

Of course not.

Once broken, the rock breaks down more.

It does not heal.

Imagine giving a company the power to drill hundreds of thousands of wells, to allow them to send seismic explosions though underground rock formations to release gas.  Imagine trucking in thousands of gallons of water to wash down the hole, mixed with trade-protected chemical “frac fluids”, to pump up a minuscule amount of natural gas in comparison.  Though I believe the only way forward is to end reliance on fossil fuels, I recognize that it will be a lengthy endeavor to get there.  It is absolute madness, however, to contaminate thousands of gallons of water and pump it into the ground, for only a minimal return.  The amount of gas wasted on tanker trucks bringing in the water to each CBM sight probably negates the “gain” even further.  Imagine a government that streamlines this process, so that companies never have to release the composition of those frac-fluids, and so the company can never be found guilty based on the lack of evidence.  Imagine a government giving the power to review cases like Jessica Ernst’s, or my family’s, to a SINGLE regulator with absolute power, appointed by whom? Harper? Redford?  Imagine for a moment that this goes too far, that companies like Encana are allowed to continue their assault on the water system.  Safeway was selling flats of water for $60 because of a weekend of flooding.  Imagine what will happen if our water supply is truly compromised?

Calgary pride’s itself on a sense of community and western spirit.  Coming home to the yyc airport compared to Amsterdam, I welcomed the sight of white hats and friendly faces eager to help.. because really, that’s what Calgary is all about, helping one another.  We see that now more than ever as the community bands together in this state of emergency, but we must take care to see the larger picture.  To live contextually and understand that we must actively plan for future generations, rather than blindly barrel forward with dollar signs in our eyes.

Money means nothing when the water comes and goes.

instaUPDATE – real life & Rosebud

back to reality and back in the office – miles of files, this is my lifestyle..

… and back home to my own bed, finally after so many weeks away!

this city, this city is haunted.. by ghosts from broken homes – alexisonfire boiled frogs lyrics

city and color “two coins” lyrics

don’t let anyone dull your sparkle – click image for the full post if you missed it!

pre-shower post-midnight selfie’s.. its how I roll #socool

these are a few of my favourite things; band tees, full skirts, converse, sunnies and the sound of music 🙂

36 crazy fists concert tee, monikee skirt (DK) CO-LAB cross body bag

out for lunch with the boss – found out I get to go on the company trip to Spain in November!!

brunch at The Ladybug and Cafe with my BFF & breakfast guru. She always shows me the best places!

waiting for my nails to dry with tea and snuggles in my favourite hoodie.

these two girls have my heart – misty & lina lookin all majestic like on the hillside.

now y’all know where I got my style, daddy rockin’ the fringe, the original hipster circa 1990

we planted trees for father’s day in my grandpa’s park. i come from a family of tree huggers – click photo for my mom’s blog

thinking over the weekend of another man I learned a lot from – missing this little pony, my BFF’s noble steed

This week was one of coming down.  Coming down and landing back in reality (how unpleasant).   Down from the cloud 9 of a European vacation – relaxing by the beach and stuffing my face with delicious Danish cuisine. while visiting family and shopping.  It was an amazing experience.  I really feel like the Europeans just have their ducks in a row when it comes to social programs and food… OMG the food you guys, go to Europe and just eat!!!  They believe in quality not quantity, that’s why they are famous for being slim and Americans are famous for being fat. I ate so many delicious things there!  Eat like a European – that’s my motto.  Mostly for one reason: seriously do you understand how much better their desserts and chocolates are?? I mean for reals.

 While we were in Denmark my grandfather took me to his childhood home and showed me oak trees he planted as a boy.  They tower up now, it was so beautiful to see how much they had grown – he told me there were three times more trees in Denmark now than there were when he left.  This fathers day we had an amazing family brunch with my dad  (the handsome fellow pictured above sporting the fringe jacket) and with his father who is basically a second father to me. (We call him Farfar, Danish for father’s father.)  He has been working on the land all his life, he was our farm every day of my life, and the changes over the years are unbelievable.  Looking at old photos of our farm, seeing him standing at 89 years old in his childhood home with the trees he planted towering over him- I’ve had a lot of time lately to think about how grateful I am for my family and how simple acts of ordinary people are what make all the difference in the world.

I think the history my family has given me such a strong sense of who I am and what I want.  When I spend time on the farm with my family, with my horses, with the animals and the trees and the wind in my hair; I feel free, I feel happy.  When I look around and see well sites dotting up like pockmarks on the once perfect prairie I am afraid; afraid of what is yet to come and that our collective greed will destroy all the earth has to give.  I apologize for being a bit behind schedule with my posts here, but sometimes I have to focus on the country-smile side of myself, you can find me in the meantime helping my somewhat technologically challenged mother with her blog. Click HERE or, add your voice to the conversation on ALBERTA VOICES.  I urge any Canadian citizens, or any concerned individual from any corner of the world to educate yourselves on the dangers of Hydraulic Fracturing .  We all talk about the weather every day, make jokes about how mundane our lives are.  Well, the weather lately has been so weird… its almost like there is some sort of global climate change happening. Perhaps from the massive amounts of fuel we have burned in the last 100 years?  Perhaps we need to pause more often, leave the concrete jungles where everyone is perfect and we never speak to strangers and go back to country roots, where we aren’t afraid to get dirty, do hard work, create a home and a FUTURE.  In the “now” generation we have very much lost sight of the “and then”.  We are failing to plan for  future, which is looking pretty bleak if we, collectively as humans, don’t turn things around a bit.  Stat.  The latest assault on the Rosebud River valley that I grew up in is some rich person’s idea of fun  “a European style country club with luxury condo’s and a paved race track” smack dab in the middle of  Absolutely No Where, Alberta. Also known as the the most damn important place in the world to me because I happened to be born in the center of it.  Read the Calgary Herald article HERE.

The most unforgivable lie we humans tell ourselves is that we, alone, will make no difference.

Alone, we can make all the difference in the world.  A single act can be everything to someone.   It takes ONE person with passion, one catalyst for change to happen.   Why are so many afraid to use their voice?  Afraid to be passionately involved in their convictions for fear of offending someone, somewhere.  As Eleanor Roosevelt put it – “Do what you know in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized for it anyways.”   Its why things like the Steubenville Rape make me so sick to the core – because if ONE person at that party had pro-actively intervened, had stepped in and said, ” THIS IS WRONG AND YOU NEED TO STOP BECAUSE I WILL MAKE YOU STOP.”  If just one person had had the courage to use that inner voice that must have been screaming at them, then that girl’s life could have been so different.  And those “poor boys” would never have had their “bright futures ruined” by this “misunderstanding” had someone acted (perhaps by knocking some sense into them). I’m so tired of victim blaming.  In other words, EVERYONE WINS WHEN SOMEONE ACTS FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.  Do we see where I am going with this?  You have a voice, use it for the truth, use it to ask critical questions, use it to stand up for what you know in your heart to be right.  Do not be silent.  Do not sell yourself short to think you make no difference, the only difference is between the choices you make every single day.

” there will come a time when you must choose between what is right and what is easy “

-j.k.rowling

It will not be easy, but it is our generation that must be the change.  I like to complain that I am back to reality because in some ways, I am terrified of the reality we live in.  Other days I think to myself, how lucky am I to have a steady job to complain about coming back to? Then I remember that luck had nothing to do with it, I worked my ass off to get it.  I am ecstatic to go to Amsterdam and then Barcelona in November, to see Europe again and have to come crashing back to reality in Calgary.  You make your own luck, you get what you give.  You plant a seed and one day it will grow into a forest but first you have to get your hands dirty and dig a hole for it, cover it in water and hope it grows to something beautiful.   Find your passion and let it grow.  Thanks for reading! xo, aiyana

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World Oceans Day

swimsuit by victoria’s secret

Some more photos from Denmark, which I am already missing terribly.  Did you know today is world ocean day? Click THIS LINK for more information.  I have always loved the ocean, despite growing up in a sea of wheat fields in the middle of the Alberta prairie.  I cannot wait to move and someday live by the sea.. maybe its because I’m a Cancer, maybe its because I’m a swimmer, maybe its just because the oceans are the most beautiful and amazing force on this planet.  There is just absolutely nothing that compares – we actually know less about the bottom of the sea than we do about space.  I recommend everyone watches BBC’s Blue Planet, there is so much amazing footage on there, its absolutely spectacular.  I seriously love the BBC.

 xo, aiyanajane

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Mrs. Green

converse super low rider sneakers  || blouse by le chateau s13 ||  faux-leather shorts by topshop

Lately I am having a real moment with monochrome, particularly in shades of blue and green like I mentioned HERE. I didn’t even think about it when I threw this together, I wasn’t planning on blogging it, I was just going for a walk in the forest and listening to The Hurry and The Harm for the first time.  Then I realized I was listening to Dallas Green, wearing all green and walking though the greenest forest I’ve ever seen and figured it had to be documented… PLUS it was World Environment Day-go green!!!  Though the title suggests otherwise, I actually have no desire to marry Dallas (in fact it was more to brag about my love for clue and the fact that once I beat it on the first guess!) but I do love his music beyond all words.  I’ve listened to the album 4 times since I got it yesterday.. like I said here when I love something, I REALLY LOVE IT. (Like, obsessively!)

Its the same thing with my converse, which I just noticed have holes worn though the soles from my abuse.. and these mint pleather shorts, which I have been wearing constantly (literally) since we arrived here in Denmark. (My grandmother thinks they’re awesome, she compliments me every day..) I would have packed more shorts and fewer pairs of pants had I known how beautiful the weather would be, but I wasn’t sure how much rain would be falling since last time I visited it was very damp. The three pairs I brought with me are on constant rotation.. vacation style is always simple because how much can you fit into one suitcase, really?  I’m going shopping today (our last day here) and its going to be tight tetris-ing all my stuff back into the suitcase to go home! I’m really going to miss it here, but don’t worry.. I have literally a thousand photos to look back on! I’ll share some more soon.

xo, aiyanajane

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spring on the prairie

 

As much as I love the city, the country is where my heart is… it’s home.  Alberta is a harsh place, but every spring the land is carpeted in crocus flowers and for a week or two, and the hillside is tinted lavender.  Crocus represent everything the prairie means to me- they are a perfect juxtaposition of soft beauty and hard reality.  They push through the dead grass and bloom in tufts of lilac, short stems covered in a fine fuzz to ward off the spring snows. They are the first brief sign of life after an exhausting winter.  Its May and we’ve had nearly 7 months of snow and cold, so the sight of purple flowers and blue skies is so welcome.  Most importantly, the crocus remind me of my grandmother, who embodies so many of the same characteristics- soft and strong, beautiful and resilient  I took these photo’s for her, she wanted to share the subtle beauty of the prairie with our family in Denmark.

Yesterday I talked about how I believe that something good will always come around to make up for the bad.  Sometimes it might take a while, but the key is to keep pushing and hold fast to the belief that hard times will lead to greater rewards.  Like the crocus, you must push through last years waste and grow strong and beautiful.  We like to fool ourselves into believing that life get’s easier, but the reality is life is a constant challenge.  If we could just accept that life will always require hard work, we might be much happier and achieve much more.

There is a quote by Scottish writer Ian Maclaren  “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”  Our lives and struggles, of course, are relative- but no matter what is going on in your life – how lucky or blessed you may be otherwise, when we fall on hard times it feels as though our whole world is coming down around us.  What you must remember is the one thing we can be certain of – life goes on and the world is not quite so fragile as to fall apart on the whims of our emotions. Work hard, keep pushing, and keep moving forward – life doesn’t allow you to go back.

My grandparents, as I have mentioned before, are two of the most important people in my life, and its because they’ve taught me so much over the years. My grandfather, more than anyone I know, is the living embodiment of finding the joy in hard work.  I feel sad when people are hesitant to spend time with their grandparents, or with seniors.  Youth so often makes us impatient, we don’t want to wait for them to remember the point of their story when we have our iPhone’s in hand to entertain us with instant-updates from the latest celebrity scandal, but their generation grew up during a time when technological distractions weren’t available, and so instead they had to look at the real world, as a result, they kinda know a lot about it.  My grandmother loves the crocus for what they represent, that life will carry on being beautiful, even in the harshest conditions and if only for a brief moment in time.  We can learn so much if we only take the time.

Shortly after I took these, my grandmother called me with the greatest news ever.  Her and my grandfather are feeling well enough to travel, and are planning to visit their family in Denmark… and they’ve asked me to come along.  COULD I BE ANY MORE EXCITED?!  I visited DK once before in 2008 after graduating high school, this time we leave right after I graduate from college! I finish classes at the end of May, then we watch my youngest brother graduate high school and are on the next flight out-  May is going to be so exciting!  I can’t wait to spend a week relaxing and eating all the delicious European food! Mostly I am excited to see my beautiful cousin Andrea, who normally I just stalk on her blog.

Spring on the prairie is all about new life and new beginnings.  We have lots of cute little calves running around, including the Highland cows in the photos above – bringing a little bit of my Scottish side to Alberta. (Mom’s Scottish, Dad’s Danish). Its so nice to finally see LIFE again on the prairie after a long frozen winter,  I am getting so excited for summer!  One more month of the tough life – work and school, then I graduate (and little bro!) and fly to Europe.  By the time I return it will be June and full blown summer here in Calgary, with Stampede just around the corner.  I can’t wait for more summer style posts- my favourite bloggers are all from LA where its an eternal summer.. I’ve mentioned before how different my style would be if I wasn’t hindered half the year by cold temperatures! Back to style posts tomorrow, today I just wanted to share the other half of my life! Thanks for reading babes!

xo, aiyanajane

Check out  www.rosebudsburningwater.wordpress.com

Steubenville + Social Media- we are all victims

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming for the latest social outrage.

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – big red football players sentenced as juveniles for RAPE of West Virginia minor.

IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CASE READ THIS NY TIMES ARTICLE, OR FOR MORE  DETAILED COVERAGE SEE PRINNEFIED – THE BLOGGER WHO USED HER SOCIAL MEDIA SLEUTHING SKILLS TO PIECE TOGETHER (TWEET BY TWEET) THE EVENTS OF THAT NIGHT. MORE HERE.

Defendant remarks to the presiding Judge:

“I would truly like to apologize to [her], her family, my family, and the community.  Those pictures shouldn’t have been sent around, let alone even taken. That’s all sir, thank you.” – Trent Mays

“I would like to apologize to you…  I had no intention to do anything like that and I’m sorry to put you guys through this and I just… [crying].. I just want you to realize that I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I know I ruined her life” – Ma’Lik Richmond

The boys, who will get credit for time served, were sentenced on Sunday, March 17, 2013 – Mays to a minimum of two years in juvenile jail, one year for rape, and one year for illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. Ma’Lik Richmond was sentenced to a minimum one year for rape.  

  What really shocked the world about this case, beyond their abhorrent and disgusting actions, was the brazen way they flaunted their crime. That combined with the fact that a great deal of witnesses failed to ever intervene or help the girl. In this case, the bystander effect is being digitally amplified through social media; re-tweets if you will, not an original action.  With the amount of social media kids are using these days, and the tendency to over-share without thinking of the long consequences, naturally the first thing they did when they saw something so shocking was to instantly share that with their friends through text and social media. Likely not realizing that any electronic record can never be  deleted with certainty.

while she lay unconscious, PARTY GOERS FLOCKED TO TWITTER:

Souce: http://prinniefied.com

Bystanders took videos and uploaded them to YouTube, the most famous of which, features Micheal Nodianos (below) joking about the assault & has over a million views.  

The victim was so intoxicated the defendants had to hold her up on the way to the car as they transported her from venue to venue.   Mark Cole, a friend of Mays, testified that he took a video of an assault which occurred during the drive to his home, then later deleted it… more The young victim was assaulted by multiple attackers in at least two locations over the course of the evening, though a great deal of what truly happened remains unclear. Barely coherent for the walk to the car, the West Virginia girl passes out unconscious in the back of a car while being transported to a another house party, where she is brutally assaulted by football star quarterback, Trent Mays.

Text message transcripts were used as damning evidence.

A photo of the two boys, carrying an unconscious girl by the arms and legs, and grinning as if they had just shot the trophy buck, also surfaced. The defendants claim this photo is a joke, that the girl was pretending to be unconscious for the picture and it was all in good fun. The victim testified that she had almost no memory of the night other than leaving a party holding Mays hand and vomiting, but woke up the next morning in a strange house missing her personal effects, including underwear and cell phone.  In the messages, video and tweets from that night, the victim is consistently referred to by the perpetrators and their friends as “dead” or “dead body”.  Step one in victim blaming complete- dehumanization.

 Both defendants were charged with rape by digital penetration, Mays was also charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. The defendants maintain their innocence,  but the Judge deemed them both juvenile delinquents (an apparently important distinction from guilty) thanks to testimony from the other boys involved that night – three of their team mates were granted immunity for their part in the events of that August night.

(Text message transcripts can be found here, I would caution that they are upsetting.) 

Cody Saltsman to Trent Mays:

u better check jane doe. SHE’S TELLIN PEOPLE SHE GOT DRUGGED

Trent Mays to Evan Westlake:

Deleate that off You-tube. Coach Sac knows about it. Seriously delete it.

Evan Westlake:

Deny to the grave.

Trent Mays:

Her dad knows, and if our names get brought up,

if asked, SHE WAS JUST REALLY DRUNK.

Trent Mays:

They knew she stayed at Mark’s. You just gotta say she was asleep by the time you got there.

Trent Mays to Cody Saltsman:

Nodi’s running his mouth saying how dead she was. If anyone asks, we just took her to Mark’s, and she fell asleep.

Trent Mays to Mark Cole:

Just say she passed out at your house if anyone asks.

Mark Cole:

” IDK SHE WAS FUCKED UP.   

IT WAS HER FAULT SHE WAS FUCKED UP.”

While both Richmond and Mays have been charged with rape by digital penetration (finger banging as the kids these days call it) the recovered text messages and tweets imply it was a great deal more than just a hand up the skirt – penetration, urination and sodomy. Their sentences, handed down to the delinquent juveniles (not guilty men) are remarkably lax; one year, including time served, and out by 21. Basically 5 years at the very most. Good behavior and they’ll be out before they turn 18. A hand up the skirt and a slap on the wrist; boys will be boys after all! Ah, the sweet smell of justice in the morning! 

Yet CNN spends its entire 6 minute report discussing how HORRIBLE it is that for the rest of their lives, these boys will be convicted sex offenders, after an ALCOHOL fueled night. Please CNN, do you really believe that, is that the America you know and love? Note how Mays only apologized for the photographs, barely even managing to sound sincere, undoubtedly his lawyer has counseled him to admit nothing. Mays seemed to know, from reading the transcripts of texts he sent to his friends, that what he had done was wrong; he instructs friends on what to say, tells them to delete the evidence.  Mays knows he’s caught and tries to save himself using very technology that ends up being the final nail in his coffin.  Clearly that will not stop him from hiring the best lawyer possible to argue that the photo was staged, the girl had given prior consent, she was conscious and consenting and those good old boys had just tried to help that poor slutty drunk girl out. Honest.

Already the gears of justice are turning as the defense for May’s tries to subpoena “friends” of the victim to testify about her “lies” and “excessive drinking”.  Slowed a little by the fact that she lives just across state lines in West Virginia, surely the Ohio lawyers will find a way to get their clients out post-haste. Out, as if their maximum sentence of just UNDER FIVE YEARS (until they turn 21) is some unbearably long time for these poor boys to suffer. Imagine watching the CNN news report if the victim was your daughter, or sister, or mother. Or god forbid that it was you. Would a maximum of five years seem like justice?  If you are a rapist sympathizer, take a minute to think about the way that girl will be forever effected by this, then step into traffic.

The primary and key distinguishing factor in this clear case of RAPE CULTURE is  SOCIAL MEDIA

This is hardly the first time a superstar athlete has assaulted someone, Kobe Bryant anyone? Settled in civil court before the criminal trial.   In other words, money and a “sincere” apology are typically enough to get away with rape.  Athlete’s are absolutely idolized, and it has become a recurring theme that the football player can rape a drunk cheerleader and we can all just have a big laugh about it. Umpteen reasons can be found to explain why those victims deserved what they got or brought it upon themselves. When we try to explain why these boys did it the primary defense is they didn’t know they had done anything wrong.

THEY DIDN’T KNOW THEY HAD DONE ANYTHING WRONG. Whether this is true or not, how is it possibly considered a reasonable defense?  The fact is rape culture permeates to a level that these boys are surely convinced of their own innocence.  In the text message they tell themselves “it was her fault, it didn’t happen”.  Its is my personal belief that they knew, and possibly even relished the fact that what they were doing was wrong in the moment.

Historically athletes have been given special treatment by the justice system, there is undoubtedly a social bias, so many millions of people LOVE sports. It doesn’t matter where you go in the universe, men are discussing sporting events.  We give young men these superstar athletes to look up to, then we give them the message that they are above the law. I asked my boyfriend what he could tell me about Kobe Bryant- apparently out with a rolled ankle at the moment but having a good season. I’m certain anything to do with rape was the farthest thing from his mind as he rattled off the stats to me. Its a good thing Kobe, and the rest of the world, managed to put the trouble of those rape accusations behind him, you know it really could have ruined his life forever…

In the past, convictions have been very rare, even coverage of similar incidents has been comparatively minimal.   Initially the boys football coach (Coach Sac, referenced above) was the one intended to “discipline” the boys.  Throughout the case police were accused of not taking the investigation seriously enough, it wasn’t until a social media expert and crime blogger, plus the rest of the twitter-sphere, took to their keyboards to sound off on the sickening miscarriage of justice that the charges were laid.  Without the damning tweets, photos and texts, its likely that what happened to the 16 year old girl would have never even been reported – let alone tried and convicted – and the boys would have carried on their marry way, just like generations of date-rape athletes before them.

Are sports to blame?

In a word, NO. Sports are enjoyed across the globe, you know what isn’t? Rape.  The problem isn’t with sports, its with the failure of the justice system to remain impartial when it comes to prosecuting rapists. It doesn’t matter if he was a quarterback, wide receiver, a point guard, power forward or a fucking fencer.  First and foremost, what we need to accept and verbally acknowledge, is that their identity goes beyond the sport they play right down into that place called individuality, where you are accountable for you’re own actions and expected to conduct yourself within a moral code. Failure to abide by the laws of society should result in equal punishment for all.  Regardless of their fantasy league stats.

Can we entirely blame these young men for not knowing where to toe the line?  At 16 these boys already are hopped up on a cocktail of hormones, give them the home town football hero status, add some alcohol and they believe they can do anything.   Next mix in a bunch of teenage girls, all wanting to be popular and pretty and jacked up on so many hormones that even repellent 16 year old boys like Trent Mays or Ma’Lik Richmond seem nice.   These boys KNOW all the girls want them, they know that any girl who gets to be with them should count herself as lucky.   These girls KNOW the boys could choose whichever girl they would like to date, but are they pretty enough? Skinny enough? Funny enough? Could they be GOOD ENOUGH to have the honor of dating the quarterback? There is stiff competition, so maybe if they drink a little they will be interesting and cool enough.  At that age, hormones do not allow you to always act rationally, particularly once alcohol enters into the mix.  It is a tragedy that things this despicable can happen (and it happens every single day) but when we see extreme cases like this, one can’t help but ask themselves, why? How could this possibly have happened?

the boys are victims too, of a  far greater crime – RAPE CULTURE

It hurts everyone, it effects everyone.  Male or female, victim or perpetrator, lives are forever changed when rape is committed.  What most people are asking themselves is where the blame really lies?  A small town is divided between home team loyalty, and an assault so senseless it almost seems unimaginable.

When taken literally, the answer is obvious- the blame lies with the boys for committing such atrocities against an unconscious victim.  Regardless of how much victim-blaming, dehumanizing spin you put on it,  they performed sexual acts on minor unable to consent.  Unquestionably wrong, and ruled as such by a Judge.

When we look at the big picture, does the CNN style of minimizing their crimes as help anyone?  If we are to believe their Oscar worthy performances in the courtroom these boys are devastated by their actions. While I may doubt their sincerity (and humanity) I do not entirely blame them for those actions.  If you never had a teenage night of drinking that got a bit out of control, you are one of the few.  Men like these are monsters of society’s making. By idolizing them (and for only a game) we put them on a pedestal to be admired, above the rest of us. Is it a wonder that they come to believe they are above the law as well?  Drinking is against the law for minors, text messaging while driving, speeding, rolling through a stop sign – little laws that get broken all the time, especially by rebellious teenagers.  What is one more little law, especially when Marijuana possession is taken more seriously by law enforcement than date rape.

The problem with rape cases is that its often only about he-said/she-said, heard in a man’s world. There is constant victim blaming, perpetuating the idea that the victims choices could have prevented the assault: what she wore, how drunk she was, she has a reputation for lying, she wanted it, she liked it, she gave him prior permission.  Basically if you are raped, ask yourself- what minuscule choice could you have made over the course of the evening (red shoes, what were you thinking you slut?!) that sent the message “please sexually assault me” if you can’t think of anything, just ask someone you know, male or female and they could probably tell you where you went wrong.  Then don’t talk about it ever again, because talking about rape makes people uncomfortable, and we all know you actually just wanted the attention anyways.

In our society, we teach our daughters not to get raped, rather than teaching our sons, do not rape.  Women are expected to be constantly on the look-out, like prey watching for the proverbial hawk waiting to swoop down upon us.  Men are taught boundaries, certainly no one says; “sure son, you go get your rape on, just be back in time for dinner!” We all KNOW that RAPE is WRONG but are then sent confusing messages because of media coverage like CNN’s which minimizes any effect on the actual victim of the crime and instead parades the guilty like some kind of martyr for going to juvie for a year.  Its a joke, and no one finds it funny anymore.

I regularly think about the double edged sword of social media – everything is available instantly, but its also available forever, despite how fleeting it may be in the moment.  Every keystroke of our online lives can be traced by the techno-savvy, the most inadvertent Facebook post these days can cost you a job. Nude photo’s can never be un-leaked.  In this case, despite how sad it is for the victim and her family, the level of exposure through social media may be the only reason she was able to find justice. 

As a woman with major involvement in social media, a blogger living in a rape culture dominated world, I worry sometimes about attracting unwanted attention but refuse to live in fear of what might happen. I suppose if someone decides to stalk me and turn me into a skin lamp that this blog will be combed by experts and the fact that sometimes I wore see-through tops just meant I had really nice skin for turning into furnishings. (If you don’t get the Hannibal reference, I give up on you.)

Standing up and speaking out are the most important things we can do to end sexual violence. While I cannot imagine the devastation of having such an assault shared with the world, the good that has come from it is at least it has opened up a global forum on the issue. I woke up this morning all set to edit photos, instead I spent literally the entire morning bawling while reading though every article I could find, and the rest of the day composing this monstrously long post. I started at 9 am, and it is now nearly after 3 am the next morning. I know I get wordy, its my crux to bear, but this post was particularly difficult to keep short and sweet.  My absolutely heart breaks for this girl. Initially I wasn’t even going to post anything on the blog, but I felt so upset and hopeless reading this case, comments on articles, and imagining how much worse the assault really was, I felt like I needed to take this poison and anger that filled my stomach and turn it into vitriolic words to be forever immortalized online. After all, what else does our generation know how to do but document the important things in our lives and then share our opinion with the entire internet?

Thank you so much for reading, stay safe for me, and remember to be beautiful on the inside. To every single Jane (or John) Doe out there, know that you are not alone, not defined by and not broken by your experience. You matter, what happened to you matters, and don’t every let anyone tell you otherwise. The can dehumanize you, blame you, take your body, your innocence, your life, but they cannot take everything. Do not let anyone diminish your spirit. Stay strong, I love you.

xo, aiyanajane

Let your voice be heard – check out Project Unbreakable, started back in October of 2011 by Grace Brown, who photographs victims holding quotes from their attackers.

 If you actually made it to the end of this post and were moved please reblog or share to the social media account of your choice- click the  social media logo buttons below or paste this URL http://wp.me/p2mS6O-H8

Jane Doe, who’s legal counsel is acting pro bono, asked that any donations be sent to Madden House instead.. more

Take Action

I have some exciting news to share, these last few months have been crazy but I’m hoping things are finally starting to settle for me. In two months I moved twice, I started school, and today I interviewed and was accepted for an early practicum! I’m extremely excited about the opportunity and I really feel that all the bad things that happened to me were absolutely blessings in disguise! Getting lied to and then laid off, only to find out my boyfriend was cheating forced me to move out of the city to my parents farm, I was home so I could ride but then I broke my pelvis. Because of my injury I couldn’t start at SAIT in September as I had planned, so I had to find something else. I go to Robertson College Calgary and am enrolled in the Legal Administrative Assistant program. I had never heard of Robertson before I had to start searching for an option other than SAIT. I’m so happy I found it, I love the teachers, the small class sizes and the fact that my program is a year and a half shorter than the same program I was going to take at SAIT! Now I have a chance to start my career that much sooner, and I feel like a real life adult- 2013 is going to be amazing!

Since I moved I’ve been doing the literal MOUNTAIN of laundry I have, and the idea of doing a challenge came to me; WEAR EVERY ITEM IN MY CLOSET ONCE BEFORE I RE-WEAR. I have a RIDICULOUS amount of clothes, moving them is super annoying, and laundry is a terrible chore which I would love to abolish. So I’ll try to wear everything and post photos, and then do a mountain of laundry again at the end! I promise there will be lots of outfit posts to come!!!

In the meantime, allow me this digression from my usual vanity into the dirty world of government corruption, big business and the oil and gas industry.

This Friday, January 18th, 2013 in the Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench, Judge B. L. Veldhuis will hear the defendants’ applications in Jessica Ernst’s multi-million dollar suit naming Encana, the Energy Resource Conservation Board and the Alberta Government as responsible for contaminating her water well and gross negligence, when dangerous man made chemicals, as well as massive amounts of naturally occuring methane, inundated her well in 2005.

I know Jessica because the same thing happened to my families water well, just a few miles down the Rosebud River valley. It was here that Encana knowingly conducted experimental methods of coal bed methane extraction using hydraulic fracturing into shallow coal seams, perforating the aquifer that the water wells we use for bathing, cooking and drinking draw from- and we have proof. My family is followed in the documentary Burning Water if you are interested in our story, while Jessica chose to pursue litigation. If you haven’t watched the film, or aren’t planning on it, I’ll spoil the ending for you. My families claims were dismissed out of hand, Encana and the ERCB were absolved of any responsibility and were given the go ahead to continue fracking with immunity. The corruption seen in the golden age of oil here in Alberta made it impossible for regulators to act in the best interest in the public.  Our case was closed, we moved away from the  farm which no longer had usable water and tried to move on. This is why its SO important to me that Jessica Ernst be heard fairly in court. The best way for us to be sure of that is to uphold our civil duty as Albertan’s and BE THERE TO BE HEARD. Governments and corporations should not be allowed to act with immunity because of the financial gains, and as citizens we must recognize that this is indeed the case with the long reigning conservative government here in Alberta and we MUST stand up before it is too late to act. There is already a bill set in motion trying to make the regulations even more streamlined for MORE coal bed methane development. Industry has the go ahead to frack, and Encana, headquartered right here in Calgary, Alberta, is found innocent of any negligence or wrong doing in our case but was found guilty and heavily fined in Colorado, USA, in a case bearing striking similarities to our own- for more also check out the documentary Gasland.

“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that EnCana Oil & Gas (USA) Inc. shall be found in violation of Rule 209. failure to prevent the contamination of fresh water by gas, Rule 301., failure to notify the Director when public health or safety is in jeopardy and failure to notify the Director of significant downhole problems or mechanical failure, Rule 317.i., failure to pump cement 200′ above the top of the shallowest producing horizon, Rule 324A., impacts to water quality, Rule 327., loss of well control and allowing an underground blowout of gas, and Rule 910.a., failure to meet ground water standards in Table 910-1.” Source

Though our complaint (keep in mind it was an official review, not a lawsuit) was officially closed with the government, Jessica filed a Statement of Claim first in Drumheller, Alberta, the court closest to the Plaintiffs home, and to the cause of action. The case was later moved to the Calgary Court of Queens Bench at the request and convenience of the defendants, Encana Corp. The original claim was amended and shortened at the request of Judge Veldhuis and revised to Fresh Statement of Claim, in it Mrs. Ernst is seeking damages in excess of $30,000,000.00 CAD for the gross negligence of government regulators as well as on the part of Encana Corp. On Friday the defendants applications will be heard and I am looking forward to seeing what the Judge and the defendants have to say. If you have any interest in the matter, or any interest in water safety regulations, come to the Court of Queens Bench Calgary tomorrow and show your support for Jessica Ernst, winner of the UN International Women of Courage Award, and stand up for your water rights!

It is critically important and failure to act could have devastating global consequences as fracking spreads all over the world. Instead of trying to come up with new ways to get the difficult to capture gas out, the focus instead must be on alternate fuel sources. Imagine the jobs that would be created if as a society, as a species, humans moved away from fossil fuels and used technology that is already available to make our existence work with what the earth has given us, rather than relentlessly taking until nothing is left. The excuse that the worlds economy would collapse if we move away from oil and gas is ridiculous and propagated in order to pursue their agenda  not in the best interest of the public, or even of society as a whole.

For more information about Jessica Ernst and the lawsuit visit her website. For more information about my families story search through the Eco-Activism category, or check here, here and here. See also the Burning Water tab at the very top of the page.

Have a wonderful weekend, and take some time to think about the future, xo, a

Responsibility for the Land

I posted back in November about how busy I was working with my mom, well this is  what we were up to! I would love it if you would take the time to check it out and learn a thing or two. My mother was invited as a speaker for a Conversation on Fracking at Augustana University in Camrose, Alberta.

“With an assembly of experts, landowners and industry representatives, our aim is to foster constructive dialogue that will enable Albertans to manage our resources wisely.”

Full list of Presenters and other presentations from November 2-3, 2012

The youtube video of Fiona’s presentation goes with a PowerPoint, available for download here. Alternately  for your convenience, I have included the slides in the correct order below the embeded video- important slides have noted the time they are referenced. You don’t get to see the fancy animation I put in, but it is a little simpler to click through while watching the presentation.

Be sure to check out Dr. Karlis Muehlenbachs who also spoke over the weekend and  is referenced in Fiona Lauridsen’s presentation. His expertise was crucial in helping unravel the questionable science of Dr. Alec Bylth from the Alberta Research Council, who’s report was the basis for Alberta Environment’s decision to absolve Encana of any responsibility for the contamination in our water well, as there was NO EVIDENCE OF GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION.

My mom also references Jessica Ernst in her presentation, its really because of Jessica that we were able to find out so much information about Hydraulic Fracturing and the dangers; she and my mother worked side by side for years to figure out what happened to the aquifer in Rosebud. Another affected neighbour, Mrs. Signer, who’s well is referenced in the presentation, reports and slides; moved away from the area, selling her B&B because she no longer had safe water.

Jessica Ernst is taking legal action a multi-million dollar lawsuit accuses EnCana, Alberta Environment and Energy Resources Conservation Board of negligence and unlawful activities. For her stand against fracking, Jessica was honored by the UN with the International Women of Courage Award in October of last year.

UNANIMA International Woman of Courage Award

NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2011) UNANIMA International, UN Economic and Social Council accredited NGO working for international justice at the United Nations celebrates 10th Anniversary Saturday icts by presenting icts WOMAN OF COURAGE annual award to Jessica Ernst of Rosebud, Alberta , Internationally known for her efforts to hold companies accountable for environmental harm done by “fracking”.

Ernst, a 54 year old scientist with 30 years petroleum industry experience, is Suing the Alberta government, Energy Resources Conservation Board (ERCB) and EnCana for negligence and unlawful activities.

Nearly a decade ago EnCana, one of the world’s largest natural gas producteurs, Began a risky and experimental drilling program hydraulic fracturing That Applied intense coalbed methane for shallow THROUGHOUT central Alberta. Ms. Ernst’s statement of claim EnCana broke multiple lighters That provincial laws and règlements and contaminated shallow aquifer That a Supplied drinking water to the community with natural gas Rosebud and toxic industry-related chemicals. The claim methodically reports how Alberta’s two key groundwater regulators, Alberta Environment and the ERCB, “failed to follow the investigation and enforcement processes That They HAD, established and publicized.” Have The allegations yet to be proven in court.

Hydraulic fracturing uses “brute force” to blast open oil, gas and coal formations with highly pressurized chemical fluids or gases. It is the subject of serious government investigations THROUGHOUT North America. In 2002, the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment HELD Linking Water Science to Policy Workshop. The workshop report Concluded That unconventional natural gas drilling Posed a real threat to groundwater quality and quantity, and que la nation needs “baseline hydrogeological investigations … to be ble to Recognize and track groundwater contaminants.” Not Until nine years later on September 21, 2011 the Canadian government did announce That It Would initiate two studies hydraulic fracturing to determined Whether is harming the environment.

International UNANIMA thing Ms. Ernst was emperor awardee this year as a share of international icts “Water = Life” campaign. “Access to life-giving water is an essential right for all life forms,” ​​stated the UNANIMA coordinator, Catherine Ferguson. “Our members have year Have Experienced fracking safe to Their enormous fresh water supply Wherever it is Carried out. We applaud Ms. Ernst’s bravery in standing up for her rights. “

The award and a lecture by Ms. Ernst will be Given at the 10th Anniversary reception for UNANIMA International in New York at the Church Center of the United Nations, 777 UN Plaza, just across from the United Nations building on East 44th Street. The event begins at 11:00 am.

UNANIMA International 
211 East 43rd Street, Room 1207 
New York, NY 10017 
Tel Fax 212-370-0075 (Office) 
http://www.unanima-international.org

As for my mom?

she pursued the matter by allowing documentary film makers to follow her on journey to uncover the truth, as told in Burning Water, featured on CBC’s The Passionate Eye. She has spoken in communities, Colleges and Universities in Southern Alberta and British Columbia. The farm featured in Burning Water was sold, but the Lauridsen family still live in the Rosebud valley, farming land just 9 miles East of the previous property. The complaint that Encana contaminated ground water was dismissed outright by the government and the community and has not been revisited. The matter for us, is closed.

The matter however is only just beginning to open up, and the truth of the matter is MORE people need to speak up when government refuses to reign in industry because of their own capitalistic motivations. At the end of the presentation my mom mentions that they are streamlining regulations to allow industry even LESS ACCOUNTABILITY. This is happening in Alberta right now!

Rachel Notley, the MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona and a long-standing labour and environment advocate, spoke at the conference and urged Albertan’s to stand up and vote against the conservative government who continue to allow the Oil and Gas companies to drill unchecked and self-regulated.

The damage from fracking has ALREADY been done, there is no longer a question about it. The question remains, how are we going to fix the damage we have done, and how can we prevent such harm in the future?

The answer is simple, and yet, we are told economically impossible; end reliance on fossil fuels.

your interest in this matter is of the utmost importance, and i thank you. xo, aiyana.

Student Film

Check out this student video from the conference my mother and I attended this November at Augustana University for some behind the scenes!

I’ll post the presentation and her slideshow coming up soon!

xo, aiyana

UPDATE: ALBERTANS, PLEASE EDUCATE YOURSELF ON PROPOSED BILL 2, STAND UP FOR YOUR PROPERTY RIGHTS

First Shot In The War Against Bill 2: Alberta Surface Rights Group demands that the Alberta Government withdraw Bill 2 immediately from the legislative approval process Press Release by the Alberta Surface Rights Group, November 13, 2012, 1st in a series on Bill 2

Bill 2 Extinguishes Property Rights

The Government of Alberta has drafted offensive and invasive legislation through the introduction of Bill 2.  This legislation strips property owners and others of their right to object to any energy project that may adversely and directly affect them. Inappropriately named the “Responsible Energy Development Act”, it removes the legislation that has guided the ERCB and the former EUB for years.  It eliminates any and all references that it must act in the public interest and violates the social contract that has been in place since the 1930′s for responsible development.

The New Alberta Energy Regulator is given extreme dictatorial powers to make energy related decisions.

Here is a glimpse of this new act.

“Every decision of the Regulator is final and shall not be questioned or reviewed in any court by application for judicial review”

“The Regulator, alone, may reconsider a decision made by it” and “no action may be brought against the regulator”!

Who will this new board be operating for the benefit of?   Will it be to act in the interest of private businesses at the expense of the citizens of this province?  Why then were all references to public interest removed from the act?

Accountability currently in place with our judicial system has been eliminated in a dictatorial fashion! There is no right to appeal to a court with a judge who is unbiased. 

Our modern free society is based on checks and balances.  This new legislation makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible for property owners and people concerned about development and it’s far reaching impacts to challenge it in our province once this legislation takes effect. Government can unilaterally dictate what it wants to do on private lands without any recourse to the long term effects and consequences. 

In light of Remembrance Day should we not be mindful of the scores who perished fighting for a choice and freedom?  We do not think they fought and died to have future generations succumb to authoritarian tyranny which benefits a select few rather than the “public interest”.

A public information meeting is forthcoming.  Stay posted for further press releases regarding Bill 2 from the Alberta Surface Rights Group.

More information at:  albertasurfacerights.com

Contact:  albertasurfacerights@gmail.com

 

Responsibility for the Land

The documentary “Responsibility for the Land” is the work of two Augustana students, Carmelle Mohr and Alison Bortolon, and is based on the 2012 conference. Enjoy! … http://youtu.be/Pmy5Qskus9g

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weekend wrap up!

Hi everyone!!

I’m so sorry to be seriously lacking in the fashion department lately, but I’ve been ever so busy and having a black eye gave me zero motivation to shoot outfits! I have to warn you as well that its likely not getting better any time soon! It might be instagram posts for the next month or so.. (I hope not!)

November is going to be a crazy month for me. This afternoon I start the trek up to Camrose for the Alberta Surface Rights Conference. My mom has a Burning Water presentation and we’re visiting my brother who attends Augustana College- it should be a great weekend! I couldn’t encourage you any more to come by the college if you are in the Camrose area this weekend, and remember to sign up to win a signed copy of the DVD here!

Then next weekend I move back to the city- Calgary, prepare yourself, I’ve missed you! I’m so excited to be getting back to reality! These last 6 months have been quite trying to say the least and I absolutely could not have made it through without the love and support of my family, friends and readers. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart! While I’ve loved being home and definitely needed it, I’m ready to start the next chapter!  Its time to buckle down and get scholarly, school starts November 15th and I’m hoping the workload isn’t too heavy that I can still be making regular posts!

I also wanted to congratulate KATIE who won the DIY Fight Club Quote. Thanks to everyone who entered! I love you all!!

peace and loveeeee, xo  a.

WIN IT HERE- Signed Burning Water DVD

For those who see no problem with the Oil and Gas development, I thought maybe you’d like to take a second look. These are the wells I see every day on my 5 minute drive to work, these photos represent a TINY percentage of the development in the area and this is only the beginning of what they have planned.

The warning signs are everywhere, and yet we continue to ignore them.

I’m painfully aware that the vast majority of my readers care little for my “save the environment” posts and would much rather I just make with the pretty pictures. I say painfully because it truly saddens me that anyone could care more about an outfit than about the future of the planet.

It’s easy to delude yourself into believing that in this big wide world your little voice will make no difference, but I assure you the only way you can be certain of that is if you never bother to speak up. Perhaps it’s because the problems in this world are so immense it feels insurmountable; or perhaps its simply ignorance, or unwillingness to accept things as they are. Whatever the reason for it, its nothing more than an excuse to do nothing, and that is absolutely unacceptable to me.

My stake in the situation is personal. My family moved from our home and sold our farm after our well water was contaminated by fracking. We got chemical burns in the shower, our animals got sick, and suddenly our water lit on fire; none of this could never be conclusively proved to have been caused by fracking. There were lab errors, there is naturally occurring methane, and obviously, we’re just crazy farmers who neglected our well. I could go posting all the proof of corruption that we’ve dug up over the years, but what would be the point? The idea that Oil and Gas companies are an economic savior is so deeply ingrained in the mentality of Albertan’s that trying to dispute this “fact” leaves one cast as a leper. Even among my closest friends if I bring up the topic it’s generally met with eye-rolls and I’m informed by them of how “safe” all the development is, and that it’s a ridiculous concern to even have. The beliefs of their parents have been passed down for generations, and that residual ignorance and unwillingness to consider an alternative stymies any potential progress.

This is because the companies have gone to great lengths to buy our compliance. And do not be mistaken, because we have all been bought and paid for. Farmers are paid land rent for each well-site, sometimes its the only reliable income in such a fickle profession. Local communities and business’ receive grants and generous donations to improve playgrounds or schools or theaters, and countless individuals are employed in the sector. In our capitalist based society the economy is the number one concern. In the upcoming US Presidential Election economic policies are central to the candidates chances of being elected. What matters is the bottom line, what matters is money. And while a strong economy is indeed crucial to a strong country, will it matter when we have nothing left to drink?

Fresh water, like oil and gas is a finite resource, and we are wasting all 3 at a phenomenal rate. We have the technology (and have for years) needed to make the change to green energy sources, and yet we continue to rely on oil and gas despite ever-increasing prices, emissions and environmental effects. Why? For one, the billions of dollars in revenues would disappear, giving anyone who financially benefits from the oil industry the incentive to continue to be set in their ways. Billions of dollars at stake and yet no one questions it when those billionaires tell us “everything is fine” all while continuing to rape the planet and get rich off their plundering.

Consider what is at stake here; on the one hand, billions and billions of dollars in revenues and, on the other, our fresh water. They will tell you it’s not that simple, but I promise you that it is. And while we can always find other ways to make more money, and already have alternatives to gas power, we cannot un-pollute the water after the companies frack it full of carcinogens.

 

proceed with caution, our apathy today will effect the children of tomorrow.

Also please check out http://citystylecountrysmile.com/burning-water/ and like or share the page!

Want more? Win a DVD of Burning Water! Signed by myself and my amazing mother; Fiona Lauridsen. Like and leave a comment below!

And get involved! We will be in Camrose, AB November 2-3 2012 for the Alberta Surface Rights– Conversations on Fracking conference.  Our presentation is on Saturday afternoon, please come check it out if you have the chance! 

I’d absolutely love to meet you! XO, a

prepare to get political

A fashion and DIY blog becomes utterly pointless when one is trapped in bed, with no energy to create and no where to go but from the hammock, to bed and back again. Now, I could post “What I’m Wearing” but I imagine me in my tanktop and underwear would attract a much different audience than is my target, potentially including some internet stalkers who decide that I took those pictures for THEM and now the voices say they have to kill me…. I really don’t want that. So instead of messing around trying to make crutches look fashionable (impossible, FYI ) I’m going to just write. For me writing has always been a part of the healing process as nothing is more soothing than the feeling of pencil on paper- words flowing from my hand and heart into pages. Making feelings and dreams real and allowing me freedom from the weight of my thoughts. Writing is a purge of emotion and nothing else offers the same release. Little else offers the same freedom I feel when I write.. except for perhaps the feeling I get on a perfect ride. I think the hardest thing about this injury has been having to sit and do nothing while the world goes on, I feel left behind (although I KNOW I haven’t been) but not being able to ride my horses, or do so many other things that I love has been depressing to say the least. There is nothing I value more highly than my freedom, and now I feel trapped by my own body, and my own choice. Its a bitter pill to swallow.

I’ve had a lot of time to sit and contemplate lately, and I have the tendency to dwell and spiral down into thoughts of doom and gloom when I think about the world too much. See I lie there feeling sorry for myself cause I fractured my pelvis, and then I remember all the soldiers of the many wars in this world who don’t have legs, or even life. I remind myself that I have an amazing family who have all been more helpful and supportive than I could have imagined, and amazing friends who do things like bring me a bunny as a “glad your out of the hospital, happy early birthday present” and I know I don’t have it that bad. I am so fortunate for what I have when there are so many torn families, so much crime and separation of the classes, so much pain. Suddenly the pain of a broken bone becomes the purest form of agony and I find clarity in the many hours of stillness.

I think one of the main problems in this modern world is that no one ever really stops to just sit and truly think. So much is done with only the thought of a profit, and not a moment is spared to consider that nothing can profit without a cost.  I haven’t been sleeping much at night,  so I’ve been lying out on the hammock watching the stars and imagining what it must have been like to live in a different time, back before they named the constellations, when all you had to use to survive was what the earth gave you. It would be a time before everything had become polluted, a time of perfect silence, with no ambient light to distract from the moon and dim the stars, and you could look forward to a world of seemingly endless possibilities. When your family and their lives were your main concern and you didn’t have to worry about a world degenerating around you. It would be a time filled with seemingly endless possibility and wonder (or so my inner romantic likes to believe). I think about all this while trying to drown out the incessant HRUUUMMMMMMMMM from the deep-earth gas well they put in just down the road, which is a constant drone in the background and a terrible eyesore. Once I get on this train of thought its quite a dreary ride all the way down to environmental doom and destruction and by then I’m thoroughly dejected with the thought of the human race. We are so proud of our ‘progress’ and yet I fail to see the gain.  All of our supposed “advancements” have ruined what was once a perfect land, corrupted men with the lure of too much money and too much power, wasted minds with reality television and wasted lives with wars over oil and land and profit.

We act like we’ve become so advanced as a people, but all I see is a society destroying itself in a world drowning in unchecked greed. People never take me seriously when I tell them I want to build a hobbit house and live there, but I mean it. Take a look around you, an honest look for once. Has man made progress? Our skyscrapers rise, as does the death toll, and the temperature rises as well, bringing the ocean up with it, and everything is effected by every choice that everyone makes. See so many people forget that there is always a choice. You don’t need to have the latest iPhone or the fastest car or the biggest mansion- all you need is land to live on, a roof over your head, and love in your heart. So many people forget that you don’t NEED to have the most, and it seems everyone is constantly trying to prove that they have the best, the newest, the latest. Morally and spiritually bankrupt minds spending immoral gains on pointless items that a child somewhere was exploited into making. And we are all guilty, we are all liars, cheaters and hypocrites, and so few are able to admit it. So few are willing to speak up despite ever mounting evidence of corporate and governmental corruption and abuse of power.  As I lie there listening to the HRMM of this supposed progress all I want to do is burn it all down to ashes and embers. All I want in my life is my land, fresh air and clean water and when I think about the government and the oil companies having carte blanche to take that all away from me I feel so horribly depressed.  Mega corporations make it seem like its impossible to ever make a difference, but we always have the choice to speak, its just that so few choose to raise their voice. If more people thought about the true consequences of their silence, perhaps that would change but I think the reason for our silence is fear. Fear of ourselves, our flaws, our nature, our potential and our failures. We are not our failures. But if we remain silent, our world will pay the price for our shortcomings.

This voiceless apathy is the curse of our generation and no one said it better than the brilliant American author Chuck Palaniuk

“Our Generation has had no Great war, no Great Depression. Our war is spiritual. Our depression is our lives.”

Now our war must be waged against our own apathy; we must fight against our greed, our ignorance, our blindness. We must fight for our souls, our land, water, air and most importantly, for our freedom. And we might need to fight against our reflection, staring at us with doubtful eyes and sealed lips. But do not look in the mirror and tell yourself that the choices you make don’t matter, that you are a grain of sand in the ocean and that your voice is silenced by the crashing of the waves. You are silenced only by yourself; your fear and your apathy. Why are we afraid to stand up to our government and demand better regulations? Why are we shamed and cast as the conspiracy theorists for questioning the oil giants? But most importantly, why do so few care about the total destruction of our world? And do not fool yourself- its not hyperbole, its not an exaggeration, the truth is that every single day we destroy more and more of the eartch and the day is rapidly approaching where we will go too far. We are so advanced and yet rely almost entirely on a non-renewable resource. The day will come when there is nothing left to take, and then we shall face our reckoning. Unless today, you decide to actually make a change.

Start by educating yourself, and please, if you have even the slightest interest in the subject (which, if you live on this planet I sincerely hope that you do, as this concerns all of us) then you must read “It’s the crude, Dude” by Linda McQuaig. She takes on the topic of oil, gas and government with absolutely brilliant style. She doesn’t so much dissect the topic, but rather eviscerates the oil companies with her extensive research and fact checking, set to a sarcastic and amusing tone. She takes a topic that in the wrong hands could be deadly dull and turns the industry into a farce, leaving me laughing at the audacity of it all and yet simultaneously forcing me to address questions many would prefer to leave unanswered. If one day I could write as well as Linda McQuaig I would feel as though my life was complete, she is my hero. And I truly believe that if it was mandatory for everyone in the world to read this book, that it might be taking the first step towards progress.

http://www.amazon.ca/Its-Crude-Dude-Fight-Planet/dp/0385660103

As well, if you are further interested in the topic, or wondering why I seem to have such personal venom towards the industry, check out the Burning Water page by clicking the link at the top of the page or on the photo below, and if you have the opportunity to watch the film I highly recommend that you do. I should have said that Linda McQuaig is one of my heros, because the other is my mother. She was the one who taught me to always speak out for my believes, and to have a global world view.  Her example, her courage to allow a film crew to follow her journey- in the hopes that perhaps someone might see it and really understand what we went though, and more importantly what is already happening all around us. Well, there is nothing on this earth that has inspired me more than that. She taught me that doing nothing can be the greatest crime.

We went to Toronto’s Eco Film festival together when Burning Water came out.

 http://planetinfocus.org/

Proudest moment of my life watching my Mum on stage speaking so passionately.

I always view her though heart shaped glasses. xox, aiyana.